Promise (10)

Chapter 9 : Familiar

One month till Christmas..

"Candy canes! Candies!" Someone is yelling at the side of the road. It is a bright and sunny day. It hasn't snowed but the temperature is as low as the temperature in a double-sized freezer. Everyone walking on the street are rushing from shops to shops, stalls to stalls, shopping for Christmas.
"Mummy, I want toy." A girl tells her mum, pointing at a toy emporium on my left.
"What toy, sweetheart?"
"That one!" She jumps as she shows. Both the mother and child walk into the emporium. I decide to enter it too.
It is amazing. There are toy trains, doll houses, christmas trees, toy guns, plush toys and all the toys you can ever think of in this place. Children are running, chasing and bumping into each other as they shout. I can't help but to smile. I walk deeper into the store. It's magical.
I know that I won't get anything, just seeing is good enough. So I turn, to head back. As I cross the counter, I see a guy putting some money into the donation box while paying for something, a music box. He looks content. Christmas should be about giving, I remember Mum saying. I figure that if everybody does charity, it'll be like Christmas everyday. Happiness will always exist.

A glow shines from the outside, towards the direction of the counter, towards me, blinding my eyes for a moment. It is the intense light reflection of a car window. Despite my eyes being distracted by the blazing ray, I notice something else. Something, caramel-coloured? I think.
As the glow disappears the caramel-coloured sparkle disappears as well. Huh. By then, the generous guy already is outside, walking in front of the glass display-window of the emporium that separates it from the outer world.

He looks familiar, I notice.

Somewhere, somehow, I've seen him before, but where? I know that there are many people in the world that you consider familiar, but he is different. It's like I know him. I rush out of the store and look around. He's gone. "Candy canes! Candies!" The person at the candy shop is still attracting customers, at least, trying to. I feel my phone vibrating and take it out from the left pocket. Emma's name is on the caller ID. "Hi, Emma."
"Hi, Syd. Wanna hang out tonight? Aunty Anne's."
I think for a while. No plans tonight. "Okay, see you then."

"So, how's the investigation going?" I ask them as soon as I reach the girls.
"One sour-cream pretzel, please," Cindy orders and looks at me, "It's fine."
"Yeah, the bully apologized, his family apologized to the other family and case solved." Emma adds in.
"Huh?" I ask, a little blur.
"Haha. Never mind. It's just that, the bully promised not to do it again. The other boy who got punched and kicked, forgived him. That's all." Cindy further explains.
"Hmm. People nowadays.. At least he knows he's wrong, the bully I mean.."
"Two original pretzels, please." Emma orders and winks at me. I wink back.

After the hang out, I split with my friends. We head back to our own homes. The weather is getting chilly again. I slip my hand into the pockets and quicken my walking pace. Two minutes and I'll freeze, I exaggerate. Aunty Anne's is near my house, it's located at the same road as my school. So, I'll be home in no time. "Sydney!"
I turn to my right. I see a person, but only the shape of its being, like a shadow. It's so dark. The person move forward. It startle me and my body reacts by moving a few steps back, keeping the space between the stranger and me. We move in synchronization. I plan in my head, if anything goes wrong I'll run. No, I'll take off now. The next moment we are under one of the street lights. He is smiling at me. I can finally see this stranger for the first time. No, this is not the first time..

Suddenly I remember. The guy from my dream. The guy I see this morning in the toy store. This guy standing in front of me now. They are the same person. My mouth drop open. The caramel-coloured eyes. The hair. The smile. My dream is coming to life. I touch my forehead, fever? Why am I hallucinating?
The next thing I know, I am running. Yes, as far as I remember, I freeze in the dream. Run!
Then I stop after a few meters and turn around.
He's still looking.
"He knows my name?" I realize.
"Are you gonna continue running?" he asks loudly although there is no need for that. It's pretty quiet.
He walks toward me and stop, leaving some space in between. "Are you afraid of me?"
"Why should I? I...I'm not." I lie. Don't talk to strangers, honey, Mum's advice repeats several times in my head. "You know what? I got to go. I'm in a rush."
"I called you twice." He says. "You didn't go to the foyer when I ask you to."
"Ohh, you are that guy?" I ask.
He brush his hair with his fingers. "Well, yeah."
"I guess I should introduce myself, huh," he continues.
"Yes." I nod.
"I'm your new schoolmate. Just moved to this school a month ago. My name is Max Campbell. People call me Max.. You've never seen me in school?"
"No." I shake my head.
"Well, I saw you walking with your friends at the corridor on my first day.."
"And thought of stalking me by asking for my number in the office," I finish.
"Stalking.. It's a powerful word. It's more like wanna-get-to-know-you-better." He place his hands into his jeans pocket.
"But still.. look. I have to go, okay? Have a good evening." I turn to walk home.
"Let me walk you home." This time, he is beside me, walking too.
"No."
"It's dangerous."
"Dangerous.." I repeat.
"You think I'm kidding? There are many bad guys nowadays."
I give him a look. Look who's talking..
"I appreciate your help. But, it's really fine. Thank you." I decide to be polite, remembering that scene this afternoon. Finally he stop following. He must have thought that he's creeping me out - I am creeped out.

"Boo!"
I jump from my seat. "Cindy! Don't do that!"
"Somebody's daydreaming!" she says.
"No, I'm not." I defend.
"I didn't say it was you. Anyway, yeah, you are daydreaming. What are you thinking?" she asks as she takes her seat next to me. Today, we're learning Italian for language class.
"Nothing."
"Come on."
"Nothing." I stare at the blank blackboard in front. Just then Emma arrives at the front door - with Mr Ray, our language teacher and someone else behind her. It's him.
"Argh." I moan.
"What?" Cindy asks.
"Alright, students. Good morning. Today, I would like to announce that Max Campbell will now be joining us for language. Let's welcome him, shall we? Thank you." He shows Max to an empty seat a few rows in front of us and walks back to the front to continue last week's lesson.
Emma joins us at the table.
"Ohh, cutie. Which class was he from?" Cindy asks and looks at us.
"I don't know," Emma replies.
I shrug nonchalantly.

Cedric, two months since I last met you.. How are you doing?